Method of diagnosing stress condition by specific binding of human heat shock factor

Abstract

The present invention relates to Heat Shock Factor, and its derivatives, antagonists, and agonists. The invention also pertains to the production and purification of such compounds from natural and recombinant sources. The invention additionally pertains to diagnostic and therapeutic applications for such compounds.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of diagnosing a stress condition of a patient comprising: a. contacting a sample obtained from said patient with a compound that specifically binds to activated heat shock factor;   b. determining the amount of bound compound as a measure of the level of said activated heat shock factor in said sample; and   c. using said determination to correlate the level of said heat shock factor with the presence of a stress condition of a patient, wherein said stress condition is selected from the group consisting of a myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, a hypoxic insult and an ethanol-induced metabolic stress.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1, wherein said compound is an antibody or fragment thereof. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 2, wherein said antibody is a monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 2, wherein said antibody is a polyclonal antibody. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 1, wherein said sample is selected from the group consisting of an organ, a tissue, and a cell. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 1, wherein said sample is an organ, a tissue or a cellular extract. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 1, wherein said compound is detectably labeled. 
     
     
       8. A method of diagnosing a stress condition in a patient comprising: a. administering to said patient an effective amount of a compound that specifically binds to activated heat shock factor;   b. determining the amount of bound compound as a measure of the level of said activated heat shock factor in said patient using an imaging assay; and   c. using said determination to correlate the level of said heat shock factor with the presence of a stress condition of a patient, wherein said stress condition is selected from the group consisting of a myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, a hypoxic insult, and an ethanol-induced metabolic stress.   
     
     
       9. The method of claim 8, wherein said compound is an antibody or fragment thereof. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 9, wherein said antibody is a monoclonal antibody. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 9, wherein said antibody is a polyclonal antibody. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 8, wherein said compound is detectably labeled. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 1, wherein said compound is an oligonucleotide. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 8, wherein said compound is an oligonucleotide.